Do you know how important you are to God?

Dr. Alice Cullinan, Professor Emerita of Religion, Gardner-Webb University, is Spiritual Enrichment Leader/Greater Cleveland County Baptist Association. She is the author of three books and 21 devotional guides, all available on amazon.com.

Published: Friday, May 24, 2013 at 08:09 AM.

He doesn’t whimper much, but this morning he did so in such a pitiful tone. He sat on the floor attempting to look through the closed glass door blocking his accustomed path through the doggy-door to the back yard. Carolyn had taken Little Bear outside to try out a new collar, and Teddy was not invited. I suggested he get on top of the couch so he could see what was going on. He complied, but kept crying pitifully.

It was a sad little whimper coming from his tiny body; he was very unhappy.

I kept trying to reassure him that she was gone for just a little while and that things would be OK very soon. He would stop whimpering with each assurance I spoke, but in just a moment, he would begin again. I coaxed him to watch them through a window, and that worked until they walked around to the side of the house where he could no longer see them from atop his ‘perch.’

Occasionally, he would bark, signaling his displeasure at having to be separated from his ‘best friend.’

There was no calming him until his pal was back inside where she belongs. And once she came back in, all was well! He is presently sound asleep on the couch beside me, with Little Bear sleeping on an adjacent love-seat. The crisis is over for now, until the next time his friend cannot be found.

Once when we took her to the vet without him, I feared he would have a nervous breakdown before she returned. His feeling of well-being is certainly regulated by her presence. Earlier this morning, some would have thought they were mortal enemies. They were scrapping, including all of the accompanying ‘sounds of ferocity,’ but soon their ‘bouts of ultimate fighting’ were followed by a face-wash and ear-licking by these ‘best buddies.’

What did my ‘spiritual-audio-visual-teachers’ reveal to me this morning?

He doesn’t whimper much, but this morning he did so in such a pitiful tone. He sat on the floor attempting to look through the closed glass door blocking his accustomed path through the doggy-door to the back yard. Carolyn had taken Little Bear outside to try out a new collar, and Teddy was not invited. I suggested he get on top of the couch so he could see what was going on. He complied, but kept crying pitifully.

It was a sad little whimper coming from his tiny body; he was very unhappy.

I kept trying to reassure him that she was gone for just a little while and that things would be OK very soon. He would stop whimpering with each assurance I spoke, but in just a moment, he would begin again. I coaxed him to watch them through a window, and that worked until they walked around to the side of the house where he could no longer see them from atop his ‘perch.’

Occasionally, he would bark, signaling his displeasure at having to be separated from his ‘best friend.’

There was no calming him until his pal was back inside where she belongs. And once she came back in, all was well! He is presently sound asleep on the couch beside me, with Little Bear sleeping on an adjacent love-seat. The crisis is over for now, until the next time his friend cannot be found.

Once when we took her to the vet without him, I feared he would have a nervous breakdown before she returned. His feeling of well-being is certainly regulated by her presence. Earlier this morning, some would have thought they were mortal enemies. They were scrapping, including all of the accompanying ‘sounds of ferocity,’ but soon their ‘bouts of ultimate fighting’ were followed by a face-wash and ear-licking by these ‘best buddies.’

What did my ‘spiritual-audio-visual-teachers’ reveal to me this morning?

Some lessons are obvious, of course, while others may be a bit subtler. Among the lessons was the reminder that I should love my Lord with such intensity and enjoy His presence so increasingly that my heart becomes alarmed when it appears He is not near. (I say ‘appears,’ because I know He is always near.)

I should be upset and even whimper until whatever is blocking my relationship with Him is removed and my fellowship with Him is restored. I may even ‘bark’ a bit to signal my displeasure at what caused the problem.

I wonder sometimes if we humans realize how important our relationship with God really is, to Him as well as to us? If there is no spiritual whimpering going on, I wonder how important our friendship with God really is? I think the psalmist understood: “I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. You will fill me with joy in your presence.” (Ps 16:8,11).